Cocktails

The Best Fall & Winter Tequila Cocktails

Who says you can’t enjoy a margarita once it gets cold? Discover the best mezcal and tequila cocktail recipes for the chilly season.

By 

Meyme Nakash

 |  February 7, 2024

Just because summer is over doesn’t mean you need to give up fun tequila cocktails. While mezcal and tequila cocktails are indeed wonderful by the beach or the pool, they also make for great seasonal mixed drinks to savor by the fireside. 

If you’ve read our guide on everything you need to know about tequila, you’ll understand that the bold spirit is incredibly versatile and also pairs perfectly with fall flavors like apples, coffee, and maple syrup. Its smokier cousin, mezcal, is another great agave-based spirit and makes fantastic cocktails, so we’ve included some here too. Here’s our roundup of our favorite winter and fall tequila cocktail recipes to keep you warm and festive. 

The Best Fall & Winter Tequila Cocktails

Dos Hombres’ Oaxacan Coffee 

If you appreciate a good espresso martini, then the Oaxacan Coffee is for you. Pronounced “wuh-HAH-kuhn,” this cocktail is a beautiful harmony of smoky mezcal, bitter coffee, and sweet amaro. Mezcal is not technically tequila, but tequila is a type of mezcal, and many recipes work well with both spirits. 

For a delicious caffeine kick, start by combining all the ingredients in a shaker. Shake until well mixed, and pour into the glass using a strainer. This fall cocktail is best served over a large ice cube and then garnished with an orange peel.

Ingredients 

1.5 oz Dos Hombres Mezcal 

0.25 oz demerara syrup 

1 oz cold brew coffee 

0.75 oz amaro 

3 dashes chocolate mole bitters

1 orange peel for garnish

Dulce Vida’s Old-Fashioned

The old-fashioned is a classic cocktail that’s constantly being reinvented. While its original version calls for bourbon or whiskey, this rendition uses añejo tequila for a similar profile of oak, spices, and caramel notes. It also includes pineapple, which contributes a sweet tartness that balances the bold flavor of aged tequila. 

To make this recipe, add all the ingredients into a glass with ice, and stir. Pour the drink through a julep strainer and into a glass with a large ice cube. For the pineapple demerara syrup, combine the pineapple juice and the demerara sugar in a pot over medium heat. Stir until well mixed. It is best when stored in the fridge and used within a month. Then garnish with lemon or orange peel.

Ingredients

2 oz Dulce Vida Extra Añejo Tequila

2:1 pineapple juice and demerara sugar simple syrup

3 dashes mole bitters

2 dashes yuzu bitters

1 lemon or orange peel for garnish

Patrón’s Maple Margarita

This cocktail is a fall favorite for a reason. The sweetness of the maple syrup pairs perfectly with the sourness of the lime juice. 

To make this autumn-inspired drink, combine all the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a coupe glass that is rimmed with salt. But if you’re feeling extra festive or serving this delicious cocktail at a Thanksgiving dinner, garnish with a maple leaf.

Ingredients

1.5 oz Patrón Silver  

0.75 oz Patrón Citrónge Orange

0.25 oz Ilegal Mezcal Joven

1 oz maple syrup

1 oz lime juice

Maple leaf for garnish

Dulce Vida’s Prickly Pear 

Spiced pear is an underrated fall flavor. Unlike your typical pear margarita, Dulce Vida’s Prickly Pear gives a whole new meaning to pear tequila cocktails. In addition, this refreshing cocktail is simple to make and has a sophisticated appeal. 

First, add all the ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Second, shake for eight seconds. For your garnish, rim a double old-fashioned glass with Tajín (a Mexican chili-lime seasoning). Then, peel a long cucumber and wrap a slice along the inside of the glass around the ice cube. Double-strain the mixture and then pour it into your glass. 

Ingredients

2 oz Dulce Vida Blanco Tequila

1 oz lime juice

0.75 oz prickly pear syrup

Tajín and 1 cucumber for garnish

Dos Hombres’ Naughty Toddy

The hot toddy is a classic cocktail for the fall and winter because it is served hot. Dos Hombres’ Naughty Toddy brings out these qualities with the smoky flavor of mezcal. 

Combine the mezcal, your favorite whiskey, apple juice, lemon juice, and also honey in a pot over medium heat. Heat the mixture until it is warm, and then pour it into a coffee glass. If you’d like, you can also enjoy this fall cocktail cold by adding the ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake and then strain into a coffee glass filled with ice. Finally, garnish with a lemon wheel. 

Ingredients 

1 oz Dos Hombres Mezcal 

1 oz whiskey 

2 oz 100% natural apple juice 

0.5 oz fresh lemon juice 

0.25 oz honey 

1 lemon for garnish

Teremana’s Holiday Sonata

Teremana’s Holiday Sonata is a sweet symphony of flavors: apple, cranberry, and orange. Start by preparing the allspice-infused demerara syrup, made by adding half a teaspoon of ground allspice to a saucepan for every three cups of demerara syrup. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, and rest for five minutes. Then strain the mixture through a cheesecloth to remove excess. Finally, shake all the ingredients except the Champagne in a shaker with ice. Pour into a coupe glass and top with Champagne. Garnish with demerara sugar and a twist of orange zest. 

Ingredients

1 oz Teremana Blanco Tequila

0.5 oz apple juice

0.5 oz cranberry juice

0.5 oz allspice-infused demerara syrup (2:1)

0.25 oz orange liqueur

2 or 3 oz Champagne

1 orange and demerara sugar for garnish

Maestro Dobel’s Poinsettia 

The scarlet color of Maestro Dobel’s Poinsettia brings to mind the popular poinsettia flowers of the holiday season. This cocktail marries the tanginess of blueberries with the vanilla and citrus palate of Maestro Dobel Diamante, or your choice of high-end tequila. 

First, add the blueberries, lemon, and simple syrup in a shaker. Second, add the sherry and tequila, and shake the mixture until it is frothy. Serve over ice in your glass of choice. Lastly, garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Ingredients

2 oz Maestro Dobel Diamante

1.5 oz sherry

5 blueberries

2 lemon wedges

1.5 oz allspice-infused simple syrup

1 cinnamon stick for garnish

Teremana’s Hot Chocolate

Teremana’s Hot Chocolate is the perfect cocktail for cozying up by the fire. It’s sweet but balanced, and the green Chartreuse (a liqueur made from herbs) gives it a more complex flavor than your ordinary spiked hot chocolate. We love how the deep chocolate flavor pulls out the warm notes of vanilla and oak from Teremana Añejo Tequila. 

To make this fall cocktail, combine the half-and-half, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir, then pour the mixture into a mug or glass. Add the Teremana tequila and green Chartreuse, then top with whipped cream. 

Ingredients

1.5 oz Teremana Añejo Tequila

1.25 c half-and-half

0.25 c unsweetened cocoa powder

0.25 c granulated sugar

0.25 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1.5 oz green Chartreuse

Whipped cream for garnish

Flecha Azul’s Tequila Sour

Flecha Azul’s Tequila Sour is a delicious, tart cocktail that’s easy to make. First, add the tequila, lemon juice, lime juice, agave, bitters, and egg white into a cocktail shaker without ice. After shaking for 15 seconds, add ice to the shaker. Shake again and strain into your glass of choice. Instead of garnishing with a maraschino cherry, put cranberries on a skewer and place it over the glass for a beautiful holiday aesthetic.

Ingredients 

2 oz Flecha Azul Reposado Tequila

1 oz lemon juice

0.5 oz lime juice

0.5 oz agave nectar

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 egg white or 0.5 oz aquafaba

Cranberries for garnish

Optional: Top with cinnamon for an even more festive Cinnamon Tequila Sour. 

Dos Hombres’ There Will Be Blood (Orange)

This cocktail is Dos Hombres’ take on a blood orange margarita. The fresh citrus flavor mixed with the spice of Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur makes it a well-balanced drink that’s great for serving at a brunch or dinner party.

First, purée blood orange in a food processor or use premade blood orange purée. Second, add all the ingredients to a shaker. Shake and strain into a glass filled with ice. Lastly, garnish with a dehydrated blood orange wheel. 

Ingredients 

1.5 oz Dos Hombres Mezcal

0.5 oz agave nectar

0.5 oz blood orange purée

0.25 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur

0.75 oz lime juice

Dehydrated blood orange wheel for garnish

Lalo’s “Kiss Me” Paloma

Impress your significant other or loved ones by making Lalo’s “Kiss Me” Paloma. This cocktail is a spin on the traditional Paloma, known for its fresh and vibrant citrus flavors. 

First, rim a highball glass with lime and salt. Second, fill the glass with ice and add Lalo tequila, grapefruit juice, a pinch of salt, and sparkling water. Finally, stir the drink using a bar spoon, and garnish with a lime wedge.

Ingredients

2 oz Lalo Tequila

2 oz sparkling water

2 oz grapefruit juice

Pinch of salt 

1 lime wedge for garnish

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